Oakland County Sheriff explains shooting of Independence Township man; readers also weigh in

In spite of a flood of controversial comments following the story of a knife-wielding Independence Township man who was fatally shot in a standoff with Oakland County Sheriff deputies, authorities maintain the correct procedures were followed.

"Deputies are trained to fire their weapon only when in defense of their life or someone else's, and fire until that peril stops," Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

Jeremy Rucinski -- who Bouchard said he learned had been hospitalized for similar erratic behavior in the past -- died Sunday after he was fatally shot in a standoff with two deputies.

The altercation began when Rucinski pulled a switchblade on his girlfriend after she hid a pack of cigarettes from him, according to a Sheriff's office media release.

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The woman locked herself in the bathroom of her home on the 6900 block of Rattalee Lake Road and called 911. Rucinski was on medication and had been very agitated recently, his girlfriend told deputies.

"This is a tragedy to the man's family, to the community and to the Sheriff's office," said Bouchard. "But when someone barricades herself in the bathroom for fear of her own safety, you know the situation you're entering is very dangerous."

Deputies don't operate on a "shoot to kill" or "shoot to wound" basis, said the sheriff.

Bouchard mentioned a police training method called the "21 foot rule," which states that it takes a distance of about 21 feet for an officer to be able to react to an edged weapon threat, draw a weapon and fire two rounds at the suspect.

"If someone gets within 21 feet coming at you with a weapon, your life is in immediate danger," Bouchard said.

Some studies have even put the distance further away, at 32 feet, said Michigan State Police Use-of-Force Instructor Sgt. Kevin Rod.

Rod, who oversees defensive tactics in his use-of-force courses, says while the "21-foot-rule" isn't a rule per se, it is a guideline that he mentions during training.

"We tell officers that to give them an idea of how quickly somebody can close that distance," said Rod. "There's a misconception that 21 feet or more gives (an officer) a lot of time to react, but the reaction time isn't necessarily there."

Rod added that there are many factors when looking at the totality of any use-of-force situation: "The size of the officer, the size of the suspect -- even the weather could dictate the amount of force an officer might take."

He said he doesn't tell trainees: "If A happens, you do B."

"We give them a multitude of options for any encounter," said Rod. "They are trained to respond accordingly to any type of situation."

Some readers of The Oakland Press online commented that it may have been more prudent for the deputy to shoot Rucinski in the leg, or another extremity.

A reader who used the alias "spartacuc," mentioned a shoot-to-cripple rule of thumb, commenting: "You just have to stop him, you don't have to kill him."

Bouchard said even when shooting at the center-of-mass -- the chest or abdomen -- of a suspect at closer ranges, most shots will typically miss.

"If you try to shoot at an extremity, the chances of missing are that much higher," said Bouchard.

Bouchard said that the full investigation into Sunday's standoff is ongoing. There have been comments stating Rucinski was mentally ill, but Bouchard could neither confirm nor deny the statements.

He said he could only say what he had learned from officer's reports; that the man had been hospitalized in the past for similar behavior.

On Facebook, readers wondered if lethal force was necessary when dealing with Rucinski, who was acting irrationally and wielding a 4-inch knife.

Reader Bonnie Beals Blaydon said: "A Taser or (a) shot to (his) legs could have been used if (there was) no hostage or at some distance from (the) officer, but if (a) guy with (a) knife was close or charging (at an) officer, he would have to shoot to kill in self-defense."

Tammie Heazlit commented that a Taser will not work on someone in a "manic phase," as it sounded to her like Rucinski was not in his right mind.

"If he was on meds as it states, I assume he had some identified mental health issues. Its 'easy' to judge both sides," said Heazlit. "My knee-jerk reaction is to think she could have shot him in the knee or foot, but if he was within 10 feet, that's pretty close."